Talk Nation Radio for August 31, 2011
Edward Girardet, Afghanistan More for Sale Today than 10 Years Ago

TRT: 29:00
Produced by Dori Smith, in Storrs, CT and syndicated with Pacifica Network
Music by Fritz Heede

Download at Pacifica's Audioport or at Radio4all.net and Archive.org

We continue our interview with journalist, author and producer, Edward Girardet on his 2011 book, 'Killing the Cranes, a Reporterâs Journey Through Three Decades of War in Afghanistan', (Chelsea Green Press, 2011). In this half hour we learn more about bin Laden, his death, the Taliban, and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan. How the US ignored important Afghan social norms such as the Loya Jirgha process, or a long standing Afghan mistrust of foreigners, Arabs, Brits, or Americans. The warnings of certain aid groups were not heeded, roads were built without consultations with the elders living along them. Now those expensive roads the Bush/Cheney administration demanded such urgency on are too dangerous for the US and NATO to use. Early negotiations with Afghans might have made the difference when it comes to lives, wasted money.

We hear about the meaning of bin Laden's death and al Qaeda, the Taliban, the opium trade and former V.P. Dick Cheney's 43 million 'gift' to Taliban to urge them to stop growing poppies. Was it seen by Afghan's as help with regulation of opium prices? Finally the corporations win and the Afghan's lose as Edward Girardet explains sadly, 'Afghanistan is more for sale today than it was ten years ago".

We also hear about the mistakes relating to the US position on attacking all Taliban members, even moderates. Girardet points out, 'Had there been a more astute perception about what was going on in Afghanistan at the time---the US could have focused on the ones who were closely operating with al Qaeda--the majority were not' and 'Afghans were tired of war' by the time of the Bush and Cheney invasion.

Journalist, author and producer, Edward Girardet is the founding director of the Institute for Media and Global Governance in Geneva, Switzerland. He is also the editor of Crosslines Essential Media Ltd (UK) and he has written for a wide variety of publications on humanitarian, media, and conflict issues including the Christian Science Monitor, National Geographic, the International Herald Tribune, and The Financial Times. Edward Girardet has also written reports on international aid operations. Previous books include Afghanistan: The Soviet War; Somalia, Rwanda and Beyond; and Populations in Danger, a Médecins Sans Frontières Report, as well as Crosslines, Essential Field Guide to Humanitarian and Conflict Zones.


This audio is part of the collection: Talk Nation Radio
It also belongs to collection: News & Public Affairs

Artist/Composer: Dori Smith
Keywords: Edward Girardet; Killing the Cranes; a Reporter’s Journey Through Three Decades of War in Afghanistan; bin Laden; opium; Taliban; Dick Cheney; money used for Afghan war; failed development projects in Afghanistan

Creative Commons license: Attribution 3.0

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